Hello everyone I want to start by saying I’ve been visiting Sanibel/Captiva Island since the early 90’s with my family and then carried on the tradition with my own children over the years. I will be visiting this weekend with my husband his first time and would like some advice on couples activities/restaurants places we must visit. Thanks in advance!!!

I genuinely think bringing Publix to the Bailey’s property would be horrible for Sanibel, and I wish people would look beyond the argument of convenience and grocery prices and think about what this could mean for the future of the island.
Sanibel is special precisely because it does not look like everywhere else in Florida. For decades, this community has worked incredibly hard to protect the island from overdevelopment and commercialization and to preserve the sanctuary qualities and unique character that make Sanibel what it is.

Once we start welcoming major corporate chains onto the island, where does it stop?
That is my biggest concern. It is not that I think Publix is a terrible company. I shop at Publix. There are Publix stores all over Southwest Florida. I simply do not need one on Sanibel badly enough to risk changing something that generations before us worked so hard to protect.

And putting a beautiful island style exterior on a Publix does not solve the problem. You can surround it with palm trees, make the signage tasteful, and design it to blend into Sanibel, but underneath the architecture it is still a massive corporate chain replacing the historic home of a family owned Sanibel institution.

Bailey’s was part of this island for generations. Losing it after Hurricane Ian was heartbreaking enough. Seeing that historic corner become another corporate location would feel like losing another piece of Sanibel along with it.

I also completely understand that rebuilding Bailey’s would be extraordinarily expensive. But I refuse to believe the only two possibilities are allowing Publix to take over the property or leaving the corner abandoned indefinitely. If finances are the obstacle, why not give this community an opportunity to help? Start a community rebuilding fund. Start a GoFundMe. Explore partnerships that could help bring a locally owned business back to that property. My family would contribute, and I suspect we would be far from the only ones.

My family first moved to Sanibel in 1995. I grew up here, attended The Sanibel School, and worked on the island before moving away in 2015. Eleven years later, I moved back with my husband and our 4 year old daughter because I wanted her to experience the kind of childhood I had here.

That is exactly why this matters so much to me.
Sanibel did not remain Sanibel by accident. People made conscious decisions over generations to protect it. The character of an island usually is not lost overnight. It happens one decision at a time. One exception becomes another. One local institution disappears. One corporate business takes its place. Eventually you look around and realize the place you were trying to protect has become increasingly similar to everywhere else.
There are countless places in Southwest Florida where we can shop at Publix.

There is only one Sanibel. Rebuilding after Ian does not have to mean sacrificing the identity of the island in the process. We should be protecting what makes Sanibel different, not slowly replacing it.

I really hope everyone who feels this way takes a few minutes to contact the City directly. Please reach out to the City of Sanibel Planning Department, particularly Planning Director Paula McMichael, at [sanplan@mysanibel.com](mailto:sanplan@mysanibel.com) or [239-472-4136](tel:239-472-4136). Also consider contacting Mayor Mike Miller, Vice Mayor John Henshaw, Councilmember Laura DeBruce, and Councilmember Holly Smith through the City Council page.

I’m born and raised Cape Coral/Ft Myers 24 years old and I STILL love going to the same ol beaches and same ol restaurants and gift shops on sanibel island. I’ve been coming to the island since I was a small child and it’s still my spot of choice a couple times a week when I’m off work. I work on sanibel too and even when I go for work there’s nothing so relaxing as driving over that bridge, leaving behind the hustle bustle on the mainland. I love the old timey feel of the island and to actually see trees in SWFL is a privilege nowadays. Just wanted to post something positive 👍 love this island so much. Feels like a mini Florida keys.

So my wife and I are considering a Florida trip in January to escape our New England winter. I’m curious of how the weather has been during that month. I see that it varies from very cold to very hot and just wondering if there has been any noticeable patterns. Thanks in advance.

Hi friends,

I just saw an article in the News-Press (but I’m not a subscriber so I couldn’t read the full context) about Publix possibly taking over the Bailey’s space. The first sentence of the article is “Publix is exploring a store on Sanibel as plans to rebuild the island's longtime Bailey's General Store appear to have been canceled.”

Does anyone have any more information on the situation?

Thanks very much.

My wife and I visited Sanibel this past January and we absolutely fell in love with the island. She was already an avid sheller, and Sanibel helped kindle a passion for it in me, too! Ever since our visit, we have had Sanibel on our minds and we hope to make it a regular vacation destination.

The other day, I was at Barnes & Noble and my attention was immediately drawn to a large box with “Sanibel” printed prominently on it. I also immediately recognized the lighthouse. At first, I thought it was a puzzle, but it’s actually a sea shell collection board game. I bought it immediately, but we haven’t had a chance to play yet.

Has anyone played this game yet? I hope it’s good!

Hi SanCap fans! We have started posting weekly videos on all the great things happening on the islands!

Hello everyone! My fiance and I are planning to visit here during the second week of October. We have done some research and have found out about the vibrio bacteria and are a little concerned about our trip, is this a very common bacteria to catch? We are coming from a land locked state and don't have much information about this. Any information or tips are appreciated. Additionally, if there is anything you think we should definitely do when we are there, please let us know!

Im current pregnant and visiting Florida for a while, the noseeums are so bad that I'm covered in bites even though Ive tried Sprays with DEET, noseeum repellants sold on the island, and essential oils that are supposed to repel them and NOTHING if anything THEY ARE ATTRACTED TO ME 😭 my boyfriend barely used any repellent and doesn't nearly have as many bites as me. I know pregnancy makes me a bug magnet but damn I don't know what to do I can't enjoy the beach without constant fear of getting more bites. I'm so itchy and nothing's helping. Does anyone know any other tricks or sprays to help 🫠

trying to get better at not wasting sunrise walks. i've had mornings on Sanibel where i showed up at what i thought was a good low tide and the shoreline was already picked clean, and other mornings i went out with no plan and came home with a pocket full of whole shells and even a couple shark teeth.

what i can't figure out is how much weight to put on each thing. tide swing obviously matters, and shark tooth folks swear the window is right around two hours before low tide. but wind and swell seem to matter just as much for what actually gets pushed up, and my tide app doesn't say anything about that.

so for the locals here: do you go purely off the tide chart, or do you also watch the wind direction the night before? does an onshore blow the day before usually mean a better morning, or does it just churn everything up? and are there stretches of the island you only bother with after a front comes through?

full disclosure, i'm building a little florida beachcombing app so this is partly research, but honestly i mostly just want to stop gambling my best walking hours on hope. curious how the people who consistently find things read a morning.

Would love to see this place get more business - they are the best breakfast/brunch on the islands and a few of their musicians are very talented (Royce Allgood!).

Looking for recommendations for a licensed and insured private boat charter/captain in the Captiva/Sanibel area for a group of 4. We’re interested in a relaxing day of island hopping, sightseeing, sandbars, and stopping at waterfront restaurants/bars (possibly Cabbage Key or similar).

We’d prefer a boat with a captain who can pick us up from the South Seas Island Resort dock if possible.

Can anyone recommend a reputable USCG-licensed captain/charter company with great reviews?

What can I expect weather wise for a trip between Christmas and New Years? Mainly wondering it’a usually warm enough to comfortably sit by the beach and pool for the day. Concerned as I’ve read about a potential El Niño winter with cooler/stormier weather than usual.

Hello! I’m from Baltimore, Maryland, and I visit Sanibel every year with my family, thanks for sharing your island with us!

I was hoping to go fishing (gulf/bay/ really anywhere on a boat) on Monday but everything I’m seeing is for groups of 4+ and the prices are totally fair for that! Except it will only be me and my cousin, and we’re both amateur, angler ladies just looking to give it a go. Ideally we’d love to join a group or go with a guide who doesn’t mind it only being two people. Willing to pay the average per person rate which looks to be about $100 a person?

I appreciate any recommendations!!

So my wife and I are going to Sanibel August 2-9 and will be staying at sundial resort. It wasn’t until after I booked this trip when I learned about how bad the bugs really were and how they can basically make the trip a lot less enjoyable. Since I am unable to cancel and book somewhere else, I’m curious just how bad is it really in early August and what is the best stuff to use to keep them away? I’ve tried reading other comments but everyone seems to have different opinions and I just want to use something that any bugs will leave me alone when I have it on

What is causing the big nasty pools of water at Bowman’s? Beach erosion perhaps?

Hey everyone, taking a long shot here.

Family and I are staying at Mariners Pointe on the island. Turns out that the HOA does not allow motorcycles on the property and I rode my bike out here. Anyone on the island that has a place I could store it until Monday 7/13?
I can toss some cash your way. I would be out of your hair, don’t plan on using it all week.

Thanks!

*Edit* Solved! A kind member of the community helped out with a parking spot!

My spouse and I have decided to buy land and build new construction to the highest hurricane-resistant standards on the island. Retiring here has been our long-term dream, and we’re in a position to do it right with no cutting corners.

Our plan: we’ll work with an architect experienced in coastal construction and a strong GC. We’re planning to self-insure, putting what we’d pay in premiums into investments instead, and covering any storm damage repairs ourselves. We also have a second home off-island, so if a major storm hits, we have somewhere to live during any rebuild.

Looking to hear from anyone who’s built new to current code (or above) in the last few years:

How did the build go? Timeline, cost surprises, permitting headaches?

Anything you’d do differently on design or materials?

For those who self-insure, how has that worked out in practice?

Any architect/GC recommendations or red flags?

Appreciate any firsthand experience. Thanks!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Where are good places to watch the fireworks on the 4th?

Will be in Cape Coral in about two weeks any information on the biting midges in Coya Costa ? The tour operators are saying I will be fine

I’m getting bitten TF up during the day and today is our last day here, but I need some serious relief for these bites. I counted over 50 bites on just my legs last night and I have more on my arms and back. Benadryl itch relief stick isn’t helping at all and I’m ready to rip my skin off, I’m so uncomfortable. What have you guys used to help relieve the itching? Thanks!!

Planning a return visit soon. Photo taken a few years before Ian.😅

My friend‘s daughter has recently accepted a job on Sanibel. They are looking for an apartment and do not know the area well. Can anyone recommend an area where they should look? Thanks!